THE SUPERFLUOUS CHARTERIS.
"Is it true that we ride to Agpur, sahib?" Badan Hazari, coming to
report the troop ready for the march, lingered to ask the question.
"It is true. See to it that we take our place in the procession on the
right of the elephant bearing the Rajah's body. Prince Sher Singh will
ride on the left, but on no account are his followers to be permitted
to surround the corpse."
"It is an order, sahib. But they say that the man Sher Singh desires
to dissuade your honour from going to Agpur, and that he has given you
much abuse."
"Evil heart, evil tongue, Sirdar-ji. Yet I go to Agpur, though I would
have bidden you and the troop return to Darwan, had I not known that
this would be to insult you."
The Granthi made a horrified gesture of aversion. "Black indeed would
our faces be!" he said. "Trust me, sahib, there will be a great
killing before your slaves go down before the onslaught of the Agpuri
mongrels. But is your honour well advised in remaining here until the
march begins?"
"I am at the Rani's disposal, and must wait for any orders she is
pleased to give. But send hither Mohammed Jan with some food, for I am
not minded to eat what is prepared in this camp."
"Your honour is wise," said Badan Hazari, and before long the servant
arrived, carrying a tray, and escorted by two stalwart troopers.
Gerrard ate and drank eagerly, for he had taken nothing since rising,
and it would be necessary to scrutinise all food and drink very
carefully for poison during the next two or three days. Having
dismissed Mohammed Jan, he summoned to a conference Rukn-ud-din, the
officer second in command of the Rajah's bodyguard, since old Sarfaraz
Khan was evidently not to be trusted. With this man he arranged that
the litters containing the Rani and her son and the other inmates of
the zenana should follow immediately after the elephant carrying the
corpse, surrounded by the guards, so that Gerrard and his men, in their
station on the right of the animal, would be continuously in touch with
them, and either party would be ready to help the other in case of
emergency. Then, having taken all the precautions he could think of,
he could only wait patiently until the worst heat of the day was over,
and the time came for the start. His reflections were not particularly
pleasant as he mounted his horse at last. Sher Singh had no doubt
spent the intervening hours in strengthening his hold on the court and
the troops by means of lavish promises, which the Englishman durst not
emulate as yet, since his power to fulfil them would depend upon his
gaining a peaceful and undisturbed entrance to the palace. Badan
Hazari and the officer of the bodyguard had carried out their
instructions most dexterously, and Sher Singh appeared resigned to his
inferior position, but there was obvious resentment among the rest of
the troops at the impudence of the Feringhee in putting himself
forward. When their numbers were reinforced by the notoriously violent
mob of Agpur, they would easily overwhelm the little force of
Ranjitgarh troopers and the guards loyal to the Rani. The situation
was practically hopeless, since safety hung upon the very slender
thread of Sher Singh's judgment. Would his self-interest prompt him to
avoid at all costs bringing down upon himself British vengeance, or to
snatch the immediate advantage of wiping out all his opponents at one
blow, and taking the consequences? Since this was the course likely to
commend itself to the people of Agpur, there could be little doubt how
he would decide. Yet Gerrard had no choice, if he was to keep his
promise to Partab Singh at all. Had he taken the road to Darwan with
his escort, he might eventually have returned at the head of larger
forces, but it would have been to find that the Rani had been drugged
and hurried to the funeral pyre, and that Kharrak Singh had "died of
grief"--little likely as the vivacious youngster appeared to succumb to
such a fate.
The heat of the day was by no means over, though it was late in the
afternoon, and actual bodily discomfort almost blotted out thought as
Gerrard rode on through the dust, the landscape ahead one blinding
glare of trembling, moving lines. He was on the sunny side of the
elephant, and on the other Sher Singh seemed to find shade enough to
stimulate his inventive faculties. At any rate, he was talking loudly
to his friends, and the words which Gerrard overheard occasionally
assured him that they were devising unpleasant experiences for him.
Beside him the great beast swung patiently along, and behind came the
zenana litters, their golden draperies covered by way of mourning with
coarse cotton cloth, so as to shut out every possible breath of air.
The towers and minarets of Agpur began at last to grow visible through
the wavering haze, and Gerrard realised that a grove of trees
surrounding a saint's tomb, which they were approaching, would be the
scene of a halt to rearrange the procession and enable it to enter the
city with proper dignity. There might even be troops waiting there,
summoned by Sher Singh when he found himself worsted in the moral
combat, and in that case the struggle would take place immediately, and
could have but one result. Gerrard felt that he really did not much
mind how soon it came, but he roused himself angrily from the lethargy
which was creeping over him, and called up Badan Hazari and Rukn-ud-din
to acquaint them with his intention of seizing the tomb if there was
any sign of hostilities, and getting the corpse and the women into the
courtyard, where the guard might close the gates and defend them for a
time. Even as he spoke, the outlines of the trees became clearer, and
he saw that there were certainly mounted men waiting under their
shadow. He was turning to give the order which would have sent Badan
Hazari and half his men to drive Sher Singh from the other side of the
elephant, and turned the stately procession into a wild rush for the
tomb, when it struck him that one of the men under the trees wore the
curtained forage-cap of a European. Hardly able to believe his eyes,
he rode forward a little, and as he did so. Bob Charteris,
comparatively cool and apparently quite comfortable, came out from
under the trees to meet him. Gerrard had no words of greeting at
command.
"How many men have you?" he asked hoarsely.
"Only fifty here, but the rest of my forces are behind, and the
Ranjitgarh army is behind them," said Charteris easily. Sher Singh had
ridden up in obvious alarm, and Charteris bowed to him. "I ride with a
small escort, Prince, to show the last tokens of respect to your
father, but as I was saying to my friend, I have not only my Darwanis,
but the Ranjitgarh army behind me."
"But what should the Ranjitgarh army be doing in Agpur?" demanded Sher
Singh.
"Why, it is not exactly in Agpur territory, but merely ready to enter
it, in case Colonel Antony does not receive every day satisfactory
reports from my friend here and myself."
"Does Antni Sahib not trust me, that he thus blackens the face of his
most faithful slave?" cried Sher Singh.
"Ah, you should not have left Darwan without replying to my messages,
you know," said Charteris. Sher Singh's self-assertion collapsed.
"I have acted foolishly," he said. "For doing wrong I am rightly
punished. The gracious rebuke of Antni Sahib I lay upon my forehead
and my eyes, and submit."
"Such wisdom is only what was expected from you, Prince."
"And the heaven-born messenger of Antni Sahib"--pursued Sher Singh
feverishly--"him I receive with honour, and place his foot upon my
head, but to the man Jirad I have nothing to say, nor will I hear a
word from his mouth."
"Now you are foolish again," said Charteris gravely. "If Lieutenant
Gerrard is good enough to entrust his commands to me, I will convey
them to you, but that is a matter in which he decides and you obey. I
see you are making a short halt here, and I may be able to wait upon
you with instructions before long." Sher Singh moved aside, with a
distinctly unamiable expression of countenance, and Charteris turned
back to Gerrard.
"Why, Hal, what's the matter, old boy? Didn't I maintain your
authority strongly enough to please you?"
"You seem to have worked a miracle," said Gerrard feebly, "but I'm a
bit done up--couldn't see how you did it."
"A rest and something cool to drink is what you want," said Charteris,
half helping, half pulling him off his horse. "Lie down here and take
this. I give you fair warning, Master Gerrard, you ain't going to die
on my hands and leave me to settle with this hornet's nest you have
stirred up here--not if I know it."
Gerrard obeyed meekly, and lay still until the trees and Charteris and
the horses and the troopers had ceased whirling and wavering before his
eyes. Then he sat up. "Bob, what was it you told Sher Singh? How can
it have happened?"
"Bounce, all bounce!" said Charteris sadly. "At least, my Darwanis are
certainly behind me, but a jolly good way behind; and as to Antony, if
he is on the move, it's solely in response to my urgent entreaties,
which he is highly unlikely to regard with favour."
"Anyhow, you seem to have got me out of a very nasty fix."
"Such was my intention. But you wish it hadn't fallen to me to get you
out? Never mind, old boy; I wish it hadn't been you to be got out."
"Oh, nonsense! You know I'm uncommon obliged to you, my dear fellow.
But did you fly here? It can't possibly be my message this morning
that brought you."
"Lie down like a decent Christian and don't talk, and I'll tell you all
about it. You don't seem to realise that you have had a precious
narrow escape of sunstroke. Well, you don't need me to tell you that I
have been keeping a vigilant eye on your proceedings for some time,
with a shrewd suspicion that the air of the very high circles in which
you were moving would not be good for your health. I felt so more than
ever when my spies brought me word that Sher Singh was sneaking through
my territory, evidently bound for Agpur. I sent him my salaams and a
polite invitation to pay me a visit, but he had made himself scarce
just in time. Then I thought it well to take the liberty of opening a
letter of Antony's to you, as we agreed I should do in case of
emergency, and when I found him cautioning you against any interference
in the question of the Agpur succession, and talking of the
extraordinary moderation of the claim advanced by the elder son, I
decided it was time to move. So I set out to meet you on your way to
the frontier, ostensibly to make arrangements for receiving the Rajah
properly. This morning the people in the village where we halted for
the night were full of the Rajah's death. As usual, nothing would make
them say how they knew of it, but they were firm on the fact, so I saw
the plot was thickening. Then, as we rode, we came across your
messenger, and it was clear that the fat was in the fire already. I
sent him on at once, with letters to my fellows in Darwan, and to try
and open Antony's eyes, and made straight for this _tope_ to intercept
you."
"And to save all our lives," said Gerrard. "My dear Bob, how can I
thank you?"
"Don't want to be thanked," growled Charteris. "If you don't know from
your own feelings how I hated doing it, you ought to, that's all.
Never mind, you'll do something of the same sort for me one day, and
then I shall have the crow over you. And now just give me some idea of
the state of affairs. Keep your silly head quiet, can't you? I didn't
tell you to get up. Well, put your back against the tree, if you
_must_ sit up. Who killer Cock Robin--that is to say, Partab Singh?"
"Either Sher Singh or some emissary of his."
"Not openly, then?"
"No, in the night. The wound was so small that it escaped notice at
first. I charged Sher Singh with the murder on suspicion merely. He
may not know that the truth has been discovered."
"Never show your teeth unless you can bite," said Charteris
sententiously. "What does the opposition party consist of?"
"Little Kharrak Singh and his mother, whom Sher Singh wishes to become
suttee."
Charteris whistled. "And which is more important--to bring home the
Rajah's death to Sher Singh, or to save the Rani?"
"For Kharrak Singh's sake, to save his mother, undoubtedly. But now
you are here, I hope to do both."
"We shall see about that. I gather from what you said in your letter
last week that you know where to lay hands upon a sum of money
sufficient to secure the loyalty of the army?"
"Yes, but to get at it I must be inside the palace enclosure, and even
then I shall need your help."
"On the whole, my young friend,"--Charteris's voice was didactic in the
extreme,--"you seem to me to have contrived to surround yourself with
the materials for a very pretty row. Be thankful that you have at hand
the services of a person of experience and knowledge of the
world--myself, sir,"--with a resounding thump on his chest,--"to
extricate you from a situation of uncommon difficulty and delicacy for
one so young. You place yourself unreservedly in my hands?"
"Not a bit of it!" said Gerrard, struggling up, only to be pressed down
again by Charteris's grip upon his shoulders.
"My dear Hal, you do. There's no other course open to you. Sher Singh
has the big battalions, and though I admire your design of capturing
Agpur with no weapons but cool cheek and shaky promises, I have a mean
objection to adding my bones to the heap that would be the result. It
is eminently a case for negociation, and here is the negociator. You
stay where you are, and get ready to ride into Agpur to-night, 'pride
in your port, defiance in your eye,' while I try my blandishments upon
that nasty uncertain beggar, Sher Singh."
Gerrard obeyed perforce, for the effort to stand had brought back the
feeling of giddiness, and Charteris clanked off among the trees.
Presently Badan Hazari came very quietly, and peered round a trunk to
see whether his commander was awake. Gerrard called to him.
"Heaven-born!" said the Granthi, saluting. "I have ventured to disturb
the repose of your honour at the request of Komadan Rukn-ud-din."
Gerrard started. "Bring him here," he said. "What is it?"
"They are trying to corrupt the guard, sahib," and Rukn-ud-din
confirmed the assertion. Since the halt, old Sarfaraz Khan had been in
and out among the men, making them lavish offers if they would forsake
the Rani and come over to the side of Sher Singh.
"What has he offered them?" asked Gerrard.
"The plunder of the _tosha khana_[1] in the palace, sahib."
"And that is all he has to offer, and they must share it with the whole
army? Tell them that in Kharrak Singh Rajah's name I promise them such
a reward for their fidelity that they would pass by the _tosha khana_
with contempt if it were thrown open to them."
The Mohammedan's eyes glittered. "How shall I make them believe so
wonderful a thing, sahib?"
"I cannot speak more particularly here. But you may give them my word
it is so."
"The word of the Presence will be amply sufficient." Rukn-ud-din
salaamed and withdrew on leave being given, while Badan Hazari lingered
to report that the corpse and the women were halted in the courtyard of
the tomb, according to his orders, and that the guard, though evidently
disturbed in mind by Sher Singh's overtures, had so far faithfully
prevented him and his followers from entering. That they would now
remain loyal to the Rani there was no doubt, and Gerrard waited with
something more of hopefulness for Charteris's return. He came at last,
and sat down on the rug which had been spread for his friend.
"We shall have to be moving soon," he remarked casually. "The news has
reached the city, and the mourners are coming out. The funeral will
take place in the morning."
"But you have forgotten--the murder!" gasped Gerrard.
"I have forgotten nothing, but things are settled in the approved
diplomatic style, by concessions on both sides. There is just about
time to tell you--but of course you understand that you are the moving
spirit throughout; I am merely your mouthpiece. Sher Singh consents
that there shall be no suttee, and you agree not to interfere with the
funeral--in other words, to make no inquiry into the cause of the
Rajah's death."
"In other words, to condone an atrocious crime."
"My dear Hal, what did you propose doing? If you were thinking of
laying violent hands on the corpse--but that would be absurd. The
Brahmins would tear us to pieces with their bare hands. You know we
should defile it and bring indelible disgrace on Kharrak Singh if we
even approached too near. A post-mortem? Who do you suggest should
perform it? Moraes is about the figure for the job, ain't he? Show a
little common-sense."
"If the thing is so impossible, why should Sher Singh make an important
concession to avoid it?"
"Because it would raise nasty rumours if we made the attempt, and
getting rid of us would prejudice him with Antony. Remember, you have
no evidence. If Partab Singh was murdered, who is going to prove that
Sher Singh did it? You secure an important advantage at the cost of
giving up the right to make a gigantic fool of yourself."
"But who is to see that Sher Singh keeps his word and does not arrange
a suttee?"
"You and I, of course. We attend the funeral, naturally, with all our
sowars, to show due honour to the deceased. By the bye, that reminds
me, we should be rather an easy prey after firing the volleys. The
front rank had better load with ball, and reserve their fire, and only
the rear rank fire with blank. In the smoke and noise it won't be
noticed that only half the men have fired, and we shan't be defenceless
if Sher Singh takes it into his head to let the army loose on us."
"But you seem to be allowing Sher Singh to take the lead in all the
funeral arrangements, which is exactly the matter in dispute."
"To be sure. There comes in the second concession. We, with the
bodyguard and our own men, are to occupy the palace enclosure to-night,
and watch over the safety of the corpse and the women, in return for
allowing Sher Singh to walk next to young Kharrak Singh in the
procession, and guide his hand when he fires the pile. Why that
lowering brow? The possession of the palace is all-important to you,
ain't it?"
"Yes, and even more now than when you left me. But to concede Sher
Singh's claim----"
"My good Hal, the man is next heir. If anything happens to the
youngster, he must be Rajah, there's no one else. You may be thankful
he don't claim to mount the _gaddi_ at once. But since he is content
to stand aside, and has contrived to gull Antony into taking his
part----"
"That's merely temporary, Bob, believe me. When the Colonel learns the
scoundrel's real character, he will withdraw his support in disgust."
"I'm none so sure of that. Remember his fatal predilection for black
sheep. What about his handing over Bala to Tika Singh, after he
himself had exhausted all the resources of the English language in
finding suitably opprobrious epithets for him? The Bala people hated
him, too, whereas I gather that the Agpuris have no particular dislike
for Sher Singh."
"Nor to any one that will bribe them," said Gerrard bitterly. "You
think Antony will make him Regent, then I."
"It would be in accordance with the usual custom, wouldn't it? I
suppose the next heir wishes to look after his prospective dominions,
but I'll own it always seems to me uncommon hard on the reigning child.
However, for the present, Sher Singh acknowledges the Rani as sole
Regent, and consents to refer the difference between you and himself to
Antony and the Ranjitgarh Durbar. How could poor old Partab Singh ever
have thought of making you Regent? If Antony don't treat you to a
pretty wigging on the score of it, I'll eat my hat."
"It was a kind of fixed idea of his, though I told him over and over
again it was impossible."
"Well, if it had been me, hanged if I wouldn't have taken the job, as
the wigging is bound to come anyhow. A man might do a good deal while
the runners were going to Ranjitgarh and back. But as Antony will
probably punish your misdeeds by sentencing you to stay on here and
keep the peace between the rival Regents, it's just as well you didn't
make yourself impossible by accepting. Can't say I envy you the
billet."
"I am almost inclined to ask you to shoot me through the head and put
me out of my misery," remarked Gerrard.
"Oh, cheer up! We may all be shot down in a heap to-morrow, you know,
in spite of my powers of persuasion. But I don't fancy you will,
somehow. Sher Singh asked me very mysteriously whether you knew the
secret of the entrance to his father's private treasury. Not knowing I
couldn't say, but I can be mysterious too, and I told him there were
some things that couldn't be spoken about. He seemed to take that as
an affirmative, and I think he felt that to shut you up there to feed
on gold was about the only thing that would fit the case. But, by the
way, how is it that he leaves the palace to you to-night, if he
believes you know the secret?"
"He don't know it himself. I am the only living creature that does,
now, and you are the only living creature that I may reveal it to."
"An honour likely to be associated with sudden and painful death--eh?
But I'm game. And as your principal duty in connection with the
treasury will probably be to pay out of it Sher Singh's allowance as
fixed by the Ranjitgarh Durbar, I don't fancy you'll enjoy a bed of
roses."
[1] Treasury.